Method and apparatus for making joints in woven wire fabric



April 5, 193-8. E. J. BUELL ET AL 2,113,266

l METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING JOINTS IN WOVEN WIRE FABRIC Filed Jan. 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS.

April 5, 1938. BUELL ET AL 2,113,266

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING JOINTS IN WOVEN WIRE FABRIC Filed Jan. 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I8 l7 7 as l I 36"\ 2v W 1 V///V///// I 4/ I (1%VENTORS; mwm if-{) g? ATTNEY3 Patented Apr. 5, 1938 UNITED STATES 2,113,266 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR. MAKING JOINTS m wovrm wmr. FABRIC Edward J. Buell, Niagara ms, N. Y., and Frederick 0. Few, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada Application January 18, 1936, Serial No. 59,751 In Canada January 21, 1935 Claims.

10 thereto by the application of heat. In some instances, the strip has been made solely of fusible material, while in other instances, it has been made with a non-fusible core, and a coating of fusible material. The practice heretofore H of making a joint with the aid ofthe interposed strip has been to lay the strip on one edge between the ends of the fabric, and then to hold the endsin adjusted position .with weights that 1 are placed on the fabric on each side of the joint. The interposed strip would then be connected to the fabric by the application of heat, usually through the medium of a torch. We have found that unfused portions of the interposed strip have a tendency to fly out of position before the heat can be successfully applied. Such tendency is so pronounced that the practice has been to heat only a small section, then to adjust finally another adjacent section, and to heat it. This necessitates an intermittent operation across the entire width of the belt and obviously, presents the overlapping regions to a double heating action which is apt to produce detrimental molecular changes in the metal of which the fabric is made.

An object of our invention, therefore, is to strip may be introduced into the-seam space progressively during the seam forming operation. Thus, there is no possibility of the unheated portion of the strip being forced out of place before the heating operation is'completed. 30- .Referring now tov the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side-elevation of an improved form of-apparatus for carrying out our method; Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are vertical sections as'indicated by the correspondingly numbered lineson Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is 55 a vertical section, as indicated by the-lines 5-5 on Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a section through the fabric, and illustrates the strip in position ready for fusing to the wire.

The invention is shown in connection with Fourdrinier wire, the ends of which are indicated 5 at l0 and H, as being supported upon a block l2, and the body portion of which is wrapped around rolls I3, l4 and I5, which facilitate han dling the fabric in" belt form.. The blocks and rolls are positioned upon a plane surface It, such 10 as a table, while the ends of the fabric are placed in abutting contact, and are then held in such position by means of weights l1 and 18. These weights may extend across the entire width of the fabric and are disposed sufliciently far apart 15 to permit the passage of a seam forming appa-' ratus therebetween. 1 l

The seam forming apparatus takes the form of a shoe 20, which is adapted to be moved transversely of the fabric and underneath the 20 seam, within a guideway 2| that is disposed in the upper portion of the block l2. The upper surface of the shoe may be shaped somewhat similar to the hull'of an inverted canoe, the keel The extent of such raising operation is governed "brackets 21 that are fastened onto a plate *28,

while the platein turn may be yieldably attached to the shoe, and maybe provided with. feet 29, 45

which engage the upper surface of the-fabric on each sideof the seam opening, so as to cooperate with theside walls of the shoe to raise and lower the fabric'in the. desired 'manner. this purpose, the work engaging surfaces are shaped complementary to the contour of the "op-- posing surfaces of the shoe directly'beneaththe work. To hold the plate in yielding relationship to the shoe, we. provide "preferably ftwo-stud bolts 1.30,

which are attached to the shoe, and that project upwardly through openings 3| in the plate. Each bolt projects through two compression springs 32 and 33, the tension of which may be adjusted by nuts 34. Disposed between the springs and having openings through which the bolts 30 extend. is a tension arm 35, which is illustrated, as extending lengthwise of the plate above the reel, and as having a leg 36- that engages the plate beyond the point where the strip 25 is introduced into the seam opening. The arm and the associated springs thus operate to press the tail end of the plate into contact with the fabric after the strip has been laid in position. To facilitate such' accomplishment, theplate has a flat extension 31 that is provided with a slot 38, through which the flame of a torch 39 may be impinged upon an interposed strip. The torch is shown, as being adjustably supported upon a bracket "adjacent the rearmost end of the extension 31. The upper surface of the extension is inclined laterally from'the slot 38, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 3, so as to concentrate the flame directly onto the work, while the body of the extension is sufliciently heavy and. is so positioned as to conduct the heat away from the fabric and thereby to protect it against damage from overheating.

The direction of travel of the strip laying device is indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, it being understood that fuel is conducted to the torch through flexible conduits of sufflcient length to permit passage of the device across the entire width of the fabric without interruption. As previously stated, the strip is fed edgewise into the fabric, but in practice, the strip is wound flatwise on the reel. Accordingly, as it must be turned through an angle of ninety-degrees, and this may be accomplished by passing it through a narrow slot indicated at 4| in the plate 28.

To propel the strip laying device across the fabric, we have shown an endless chain 45, which passes around sprocket wheels 46 at opposite ends of the block l2. One reach of the chain moves in the slot 41' that is illustrated, as being disposed beneath the shoe 20, while the other reach is positioned within a slot 48 that is disposed in the block at one side of the shoe guideway 2|, and that opens upwardly onto the upper surface of the block. The chain may then rigidly be connected to the shoe in any suitable manner so as to move the shoe whenever the chain is actuated.

To propel the chain, we have illustrated an electric motor 50, which is carried by the bracket II, and which is operatively connected to one of the sprocket wheels through reduction gearing,

' indicated in general at 52.

The method of making a scam in accordance with our invention is produced by bringing the ends of the fabric into abutting engagement with the seam line directly over the midportion of the guideway opening 2| in the block I2. At such time, the strip laying device is positioned in its guideway at one side of the fabric, the motor 5| is then started to move the strip layer toward the fabric, the operator guiding the ends of the fabric upwardly over the forward end of the shoe and beneath the feet 23, and thence downwardly beneath the plate 28 and into abutting engage- -ment with opposite sides of the strip 25, it being understood that the strip is paid out from the reel at the start of the operation sumciently far to be engaged by the ends of the fabric. Prior to the starting of the motor, it is also to be understood that the gas supplied to the torch has been ignited, 'and adjusted to the proper degree in accordance with the size and character of the material to be brazed, so that as the adjacent edges of the fabric are brought into engagement with the interposed strip, the torch will operate to fuse the strip to the fabric. A suitable tension device, generally indicated at 55, prevents the strip from being paid out too rapidly, as the seam forming unit moves across the fabric.

After an operator has fed the initial corners of the fabric into the strip laying unit, it is no longer necessary for him to guide the fabric, for thereafter, the shoe 20 and its associated feet 29 operate to raise the fabric sufficiently far to clear the stud bolts, and then to relay it with the opposing edges in engagement with the sides of the strip.

An important advantage of our invention is the factthat the'interposed strip does not have a tendency to fly out of the work during the heating operation. A further advantage is'the fact that the heat is applied only once to each part of the seam and that the extent to which the metal may be subjected to heat may be more readily controlled.

A further advantage is the fact that the apparatus permits the manufacture of a seam in one continuous strip, it being only necessary to ascertain by trial and error, the degree of heat, which may be supplied by the torch'in accordance with the size and kind of material being treated, and in accordance with the desired speed of operation. In any instance, the adjustment is so determined, as to melt the fusible strip flrmly to the fabric 'without imparting objectionable changes in the molecular structure of the fabric.

We claim:

'1. A method of making a joint for wire fabric, comprising bringing the ends of the fabric into opposing relationship in substantially the same plane, progressively lifting the opposing ends sufficientlyv to admit an interposed strip, simultaneously feeding the strip and applying heat to the interposed strip.

2. A method of making a joint for wire fabric, comprising bringing the ends of the fabric into .opposing relationship and substantially the same plane, progressively lifting and opening a relatively small portion, inserting a strip having at least a portion thereof of fusible material into the opening, replacing the fabric progressively so as to move the ends thereof into engagement with the opposite sides of the strip and applying heat to the strip.

3. An apparatus for making a seam in wire fabric, comprising incombination, means for progressively lifting the fabric and making a relatively small opening between the ends of,the fabric, other means for holding the fabric with its ends in opposition in substantially a common plane, means associated therewith for feeding a strip between the ends of the fabric, and mechanism for moving all of said means as a unit across the fabric.

4. A strip laying device, for use in making joints in wire fabric, comprising a base, a member that is disposed beneath the fabric and is movable along the base, and that is adapted to lift and separate a small portion of each end of the fabric as the member is moved across the fabric, a strip carrier, and a heat-applicator carried by said member, the strip carrier being adapted to feed a strip into the fabric joint in advance of the heat applicator.

nuance l 3 5. A device for in wire fabric, in combination, a base having a guidey therein, a strip laying unit movably mounted -in the guideway,..an electric motor and means for operatively connecting the motor to the unit to move it with a uniform velocity across the fabric.

A device for making seams in, wire fabric, comprising in combination, a base, a strip laying unit movably mounted thereomsaid unit having a portion thereof, disposed beneath the fabric and another portion sed above the fabric so as progressively to lift and separate the fabric during the traversing movement thereof, means with the unit for applying heat to the strip progressively as it is laid in place, and an electric motor for operating the strip laying unit.

'7. in a device of the character described, the combination with a member, which is adapted to engage the underside of wire fabric, as it is passed thereacross and beneath the contacting ends thereof, said member having a portion thereof end the upper side oi the fabric and movable therewith as a unit, a reel of material in strip form supported on the upper portion of said member and positioned thereon, so as .to f the strip into the work as the strip is moved across the fabric and means also carried by the" upper part of said member for applying heat progressively to the strip as the member is moved across the fabric.

8. An apparatus for making seams in wire fab ric, comprising in combination, a base, having a guideway therein and extending transversely of the fabric to be joined, a work engaging member movable in the guideway, and adapted to engage the under surface of the work, such member having an inclined surface which operates to raise each edge of the fabric, as the member is moved progressively in said guideway, and a second member yieldably attached to the shoe and cooperating therewith to provide a guideway for the fabric to return it to its initial position, means fabric comprising in combination, means for progressively lifting the fabric sufficiently to make an opening between the ends of the fabric to be joined so as to'feed a strip of material between the fabric ends, other means associated with the first named means for applying heatto the strip progressively as it is laid in place, and an electric motor for moving all of said means across the fabric. I

10. In adevice of the character described, the combination with a base having a guideway therein, a strip laying unit movably mounted in the guideway, the unit having a portion thereof engaging the under surface of the fabric that is positioned upon the base,- so as to produce an opening between the ends ofxthe fabric progressively,

as the member is moved across the base, and mechanism carried by the member and project ing through the opening for laying a strip of material between the ends of the fabric and for fusing it, as it is laid, sprocket wheels carried by the base, a chain meshing within the wheels, and

attached to said unit, and an electric motor operatively connected to said chain.

EDWARD J. 'BUELL. FREDERICK C. FEW. 

